FDA, Center for Food Safety fail to submit FSMA regulation schedule

The US Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Food Safety were unable to reached an agreement on a proposed schedule for Food Safety Modernization Act deadlines in compliance with a court's order to do so by May 20. FDA was ordered to set the schedule after being sued by the Center for Food Safety for missing several statutory deadlines in implementing FSMA.

FDA and the Center for Food Safety were given a 20-day extension by a US District Court to reach an agreement by June 10. However, the groups did not submit a joint proposal as required, instead submitting separate timelines for implementing the remaining regulations.

FDA's timeline for parts of FSMA is reportedly longer than the Center for Food Safety and lacks some specific dates. For example, FDA set deadlines for a proposed foreign supplier verification program rule and timeline for issuing a proposal for accrediting third-party auditors by summer and set a deadline for the final rule for summer 2015. The center set deadlines of August 31 and a final deadline of December 31 for these parts of FSMA.